Sept. 13, 2025 — Iowa State defensive lineman Tamatoa McDonough closes in on an Arkansas State ball carrier during the Cyclones’ game at Centennial Bank Stadium in Jonesboro, Ark. (Photo Credit: Iowa State Athletics)
OKOBOJI, Iowa — Before jumping on Iowa State for playing a non-conference football game on the home field of a non-Power 4 team – don’t forget the bottom line: Cyclones 24, Arkansas State 16.
It wasn’t pretty. Downright ugly at times, and head-scratching throughout, but again – the bottom line – and here’s the important stuff:
Iowa State is 4-0 heading into a much-needed and well-deserved Saturday without a game.
“Our kids responded the whole game,” coach Matt Campbell told ESPN after the game. “It wasn’t real pretty from our end of it. These guys have really gutted it out the last four weeks. It’s been a long four weeks, and these kids have responded every step of the way.”
Amid more uneasiness and hold-your-breath moments than anyone probably anticipated, the Cyclones have persevered. No other way to put it. Four games. Four Saturdays. Two countries. Four victories.Is there a stronger word for persevere?
Raise your hand if you expected Iowa State to be 4-0 a third of the way into the season. You figured a Kansas State-Iowa split. You certainly didn’t plan on a 55-7 blowout of South Dakota at home, and narrowly beating a team Saturday that the Cyclones hammered by 45 last season?
You figured maybe 4-0 at the season’s first break, and the more conservative assumption was an admirable 3-1, but unbeaten?
As ugly and at times bad Saturday was, that’s where this team finds itself, and don’t forget — all you have to do is win the Big 12 Conference championship game to cinch the league’s automatic playoff spot in what (right now, at least) looks to be a one-bid league. Whatever happens in Jonesboro – it stays in Jonesboro. Style points don’t mean a darn thing – as long as you win the Big 12 title game.
All that mattered Saturday was that quarterback Rocco Becht played well when he had to. Running backs Carson Hansen and Abu Sama had good moments. Receiver Carson Brown had a wonderful catch that enabled Iowa State to run out the game’s final seconds. The defense had nice moments — that may have even overshadowed the not-so-nice ones.Iowa State is a good football team – with a few problems to solve. Have the special teams suddenly taken a turn? Will kicker Kyle Konrardy recover from whatever injury he has? Ditto tight end Gabe Burkle? Can the offense and defense become consistent?
At least Campbell’s team returned to Ames Saturday with the all-important “W,” after playing just well enough to win on the steamy home field of a non-power team. That’s about all you can say about this fourth victory out of four games – and maybe by the next game, even the knee-jerk narrative will even be gone.
Never should happen, you said. Lower-level programs cash multi-million checks to play non-conference games at power programs, they don’t host power programs.
Nothing good can happen – even if the game goes like everyone expects it to go. You win by a bunch of points, you pad statistics, a lot of players see action, and you fly back home none the worse for wear.
Whatever.
Regardless how it happened, the Cyclones are 4-0 when they resume play Sept. 27 against Arizona at Jack Trice Stadium. That’s the bottom line.
(Columnist Randy Peterson, a past Iowa Sportswriter of the Year winner, can be reached at [email protected] or at any Okoboji-area beverage/food establishment between the hours of open and close.)
